How to Get Retrofit Escapade
The Retrofit Escapade is one of the most sought-after machine guns in Destiny 2, known for its high rate of fire and potential for incredible damage output with the right perk combinations. Whether you’re building for PvE content like Nightfalls and Raids or planning to melt bosses with volatile rounds in PvP, this weapon is versatile and powerful. However, getting your hands on a Retrofit Escapade requires navigating specific seasonal systems, understanding vendor mechanics, and farming smartly. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to get Retrofit Escapade in Destiny 2, how to craft it, and which perks to target for the best performance.
What Is the Retrofit Escapade?
The Retrofit Escapade is a Legendary Void Power machine gun first introduced during Season of the Seraph. It uses Void energy and features a rapid-fire frame, making it an excellent choice for high DPS builds, especially when paired with Volatile Rounds from Void 3.0 subclasses. The weapon excels in PvE but can also be viable in PvP when used strategically.
Where to Get Retrofit Escapade
Season of the Seraph Content
Originally, the Retrofit Escapade was tied to the seasonal activities in Season of the Seraph. Players needed to complete Heist Battlegrounds and upgrade the Exo Frame at the H.E.L.M. to unlock the weapon through seasonal focusing. Although the season is no longer active in the main rotation, the weapon remains obtainable through legacy methods if Bungie has kept it available in the loot pool.
Current Availability
Retrofit Escapade can now be acquired from:
- Gunsmith rank-up packages
- World drops (random Legendary Engram sources)
- Focused decoding at the Tower if the vendor offers it
- Seasonal weapon focusing at the War Table (if it returns during seasonal content)
If the weapon becomes part of the returning seasonal content or vendor updates, watch for events like ‘Into the Light’ or seasonal weapon reprisal updates, which sometimes rotate older weapons back into the spotlight.
How to Farm Retrofit Escapade
Gunsmith Reputation
The most reliable current method to farm Retrofit Escapade is through Gunsmith reputation rewards. As you dismantle gear or complete bounties, you’ll gain reputation with Banshee-44. Each rank-up grants a package that can include world pool weapons, including Retrofit Escapade.
World Drop Sources
Retrofit Escapade may drop from the following sources if it remains in the general world loot pool:
- Legendary Engrams from public events
- Crucible and Gambit post-match rewards
- Nightfall completion rewards
- Raids and dungeon chests
This method relies heavily on RNG, so if you’re determined to get this weapon, combining multiple activities that drop engrams is ideal.
How to Craft Retrofit Escapade
Weapon Pattern Unlocking
If you want to craft your own Retrofit Escapade with enhanced perks, you’ll need to unlock the weapon pattern. Here’s how that works:
- Obtain Deepsight Resonance versions of the weapon (marked with a red border)
- Extract the pattern after acquiring enough red border copies (usually five)
Once unlocked, you can craft Retrofit Escapade at the Enclave on Mars, allowing you to select enhanced perks for maximum damage potential.
Obtaining Red Border Versions
If Bungie has returned the weapon to focusing pools in a specific season or event, look for focused red border drops from vendors like the War Table, Exo Frame, or seasonal chests. Alternatively, if it’s offered through legacy focusing, that’s your best bet to target red border drops directly.
Best Perks for Retrofit Escapade
PvE God Roll
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake (for recoil control)
- Magazine: Extended Mag or Appended Mag
- Perk 1: Fourth Time’s the Charm
- Perk 2: Target Lock or Frenzy
- Origin Trait: Rasputin’s Arsenal (Seasonal)
This PvE god roll focuses on maximizing sustained damage, especially useful during boss DPS phases. Pair it with Volatile Rounds from Void subclass synergies for incredible output.
PvP Viability
While not the top-tier choice in PvP, you can try perks like:
- Dynamic Sway Reduction
- Tap the Trigger
However, the recoil and high fire rate make it difficult to control unless you’re comfortable with machine guns in PvP.
Synergies With Void Builds
Volatile Rounds
One of the best parts of using Retrofit Escapade is its synergy with Volatile Rounds. These can be activated by:
- Echo of Instability (Void fragment)
- Void weapon surge mods
- Seasonal armor mods, if available
Volatile Rounds cause enemies to explode upon death or further hits, dramatically improving ad-clear capability and overall DPS in PvE content.
Exotic Armor Combos
- Titan: Heart of Inmost Light for ability spam and weapon damage synergy
- Hunter: Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk for invisibility and volatile round chaining
- Warlock: Nezarec’s Sin for Void weapon regen synergy
Each subclass benefits uniquely from the Retrofit Escapade’s Void typing, and optimizing around your class can lead to devastating builds.
Tips for Farming More Efficiently
Combine Activities
Since Retrofit Escapade can be earned through random world drops, you should:
- Farm Nightfalls for multiple Legendary rewards
- Complete Gunsmith bounties while dismantling gear
- Play Crucible or Gambit to collect engrams passively
By staying active across multiple playlist activities, you increase your chance of receiving the weapon randomly while still progressing other goals.
Watch for Rotating Vendors
Bungie occasionally brings back older weapons during vendor rotations or seasonal events. Keep an eye on:
- The War Table or H.E.L.M.
- Gunsmith and seasonal vendors
- Announcements of reprised weapon rotations
If Retrofit Escapade becomes featured again, focusing it directly will save a lot of time compared to relying on random drops.
Getting Retrofit Escapade in Destiny 2 is a mix of farming, RNG, and watching for vendor rotations. While it was originally tied to Season of the Seraph, it still appears in the world loot pool and can drop from activities like Gunsmith rank-ups and Legendary Engrams. For those wanting full control over perks, unlocking the weapon pattern and crafting it at the Enclave is the best method. With excellent Void synergy, high damage output, and the ability to pair with Volatile Rounds, Retrofit Escapade remains one of the top-tier Legendary machine guns for PvE content. Stay persistent, farm smart, and you’ll have your perfect roll in no time.